Global Health’s Next Era

May 22, 2025 | Side events May 19-22

Geneva / Online

About the event

Global health is at a crossroads. U.S. and other foreign aid freezes are disrupting critical programs, climate change is driving new health crises, and workforce shortages are reaching breaking points. At the same time, AI, digital innovation, and new financing models are reshaping the future of healthcare.

On May 22, the reporters behind Devex CheckUp will interview policymakers, funders, practitioners, and innovators to tackle these challenges head-on. This exclusive, journalist-led summit will break news, cut through the noise, and highlight the solutions shaping global health’s next era, with a focus on:

The Health System Stress Test
Advancing self-reliance by strengthening health workforce capacity, expanding domestic health financing, and ensuring systems can withstand future shocks.
Tech Rx: Rebooting Innovation
Harnessing AI, digital health, and new financing models to expand access and combat misinformation.
The Money and Politics of Global Health
Navigating funding shortfalls, WHO’s financial future, and shifting donor priorities.

In addition to our summit, we are hosting a series of events and roundtables with partners May 19-22. Request an invite to join us in Geneva or register to watch online. Explore the week’s agenda below.

Agenda

This agenda is evolving and subject to change. Check back for more updates!

8:30-9:30 a.m. CEST

Kidney Health Matters: A Policy Imperative for Economic Resilience

Produced in partnership with ISN.

Kidney disease is surging but global health agendas are still playing catch-up. This event explores the growing momentum behind a proposed WHA resolution on kidney health and how it can help drive progress on universal health coverage. Featuring voices from across policy and advocacy, we’ll explore how this often-overlooked issue could help reshape the global NCD agenda.

For in-person attendees, registration will start at 8:00 a.m. CEST.

Learn more about the event here.

10-11 a.m. CEST

Scaling Up Oral Health Strategies for NCD Prevention

Produced in partnership with Haleon.

Oral diseases affect nearly half the world’s population yet access to care remains out of reach for many, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This event explores how countries can advance WHO’s oral health goals by improving access and affordability, building inclusive national road maps, and ensuring oral health is part of the broader NCD and UHC agendas ahead of the 2025 U.N. High-Level Meeting.

For in-person attendees, a networking coffee will start at 9:00 am CEST.

Learn more about the event here.

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CEST

Toward global readiness: Harmonizing credentials for a borderless health workforce

Produced in partnership with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS).

This high-level convening will serve as a platform to explore the importance of health workforce credentialing not just as a regulatory mechanism, but as a powerful enabler of workforce empowerment, system efficiency, and cross-border collaboration. Bringing together global health leaders, government officials, professional bodies, educators, and frontline professionals, the event aims to produce actionable insights and policy-relevant recommendations that will shape future strategies for credentialing, training, and sustaining a skilled, mobile, and resilient health workforce worldwide.

For in-person attendees, registration will open at 11 a.m. CEST and lunch will follow the event from 12:30-1:30 p.m. CEST.

1:30-2:30 p.m. CEST

The Fallout and the Future: Global Health in a Time of U.S. Uncertainty

A news discussion hosted by the Devex CheckUp reporting team

Elisha Dunn-Georgiou

President and CEO, Global Health Council

Kniz ul Eman

Chief executive officer, Dopasi Foundation

Interviewer: Sara Jerving

Senior Reporter, Devex

2:05-2:15 p.m. CEST

A conversation with Health Ai’s CEO

More details coming soon.

2:30-3:00 p.m. CEST

Live from the World Health Assembly: This Week in Global Development

Join Devex’s Rumbi Chakamba, co-host of This Week in Global Development, for a special live podcast recording from the World Health Assembly.

Helen Clark

Former prime minister of New Zealand, co-chair of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, member of The Elders

Dr. Ngashi Ngongo

Principal advisor to DG on program management and the continental incident manager for mpox, Africa CDC

Interviewer: Rumbi Chakamba

Senior Editor, Devex

3:30-4:30 p.m. CEST

Maternity Matters: Advancing quality care for all through healthy beginnings and healthy futures

Produced in partnership with MSD for Mothers. Stay tuned for more details coming soon.

6-8.30 p.m. CEST

Dinner roundtable hosted with The END Fund

Please note that this is an invite-only event.

8:30-9:30 a.m CEST

Beyond The Numbers: Measuring What Really Matters to Strengthen Health Systems

Produced in partnership with Amgen.

What does real progress look like in health system strengthening and are our current metrics capturing it? This event dives into how health leaders, implementers, and biopharma partners are overhauling traditional monitoring and evaluation methods to expose the limitations of legacy indicators and spotlight new strategies that prioritize sustainability, equity, and context-specific outcomes, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

For in-person attendees, registration and networking begins at 8:00 a.m. CEST.

Learn more about the event here.

10-11 a.m CEST

Investing for impact: Harnessing partnerships to transform NCD care

Produced in partnership with Sanofi. Please note that this is an invite-only event.

Global Health’s Next Era

Morning Sessions

(10 a.m.-1:15 p.m. CEST)

9:30 a.m. CEST

Registration

In-person only

10:00 a.m. CEST

Setting the stage

Kate Warren

Executive Vice President & Executive Editor, Devex

10:05 a.m. CEST

WHO's funding crisis

Check back for speaker details soon.

10:45 a.m. CEST

Burnout, budget cuts, and brain drain: Fixing the global health workforce

Mallika Raghavan

Deputy chief program officer, Last Mile Health

Dino Rech

CEO, Audere

Interviewer: Andrew Green

Contributing Reporter, Devex

11:15 a.m. CEST

Partner spotlight with the the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties

Check back for speaker details soon.

11:25 a.m. CEST

Pandemic treaty: The deal is done — now what?

Precious Matsoso

Director general, National Department of Health of South Africa; Co-chair, Intergovernmental Negotiating Body

Nina Schwalbe

Founder and CEO, Spark Street Advisors

Interviewer: Rumbi Chakamba

Senior Editor, Devex

12:15 p.m. CEST

Connect over lunch

In-person only

Afternoon Sessions

(1:15-3:30 p.m. CEST)

1:20 p.m. CEST

Africa’s health crossroads: A conversation with Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu

Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu

Acting WHO regional director for Africa and deputy executive director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme

Interviewer: Sara Jerving

Senior Reporter, Devex

1:35 p.m. CEST

The transformative power of nutrition: Lessons learned from a decade of action

In partnership with The Power of Nutrition

Dr. Alok Ranjan

Director of programs and investements, The Power of Nutrition

Interviewer: Kate Warren

Executive Vice President and Executive Editor, Devex

1:50 p.m. CEST

Financing the future: From global commitments to community priorities

Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou

Director, World Health Organization

Interviewer: Andrew Green

Contributing Reporter, Devex

2:00 p.m. CEST

Who pays for global health? Rethinking funding in an age of scarcity

Priya Basu

Executive head, Pandemic Fund

Françoise Vanni

Director of external relations and communications, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Interviewer: Andrew Green

Contributing Reporter, Devex

2:25 p.m. CEST

Lessons from reproductive health organizations in a shifting funding landscape

Susan Camara

Head of EU programs, MSI Reproductive Choices

Dr. Samukeliso Dube

Executive director, FP2030

Interviewer: Sara Jerving

Senior Reporter, Devex

2:40 p.m. CEST

Can philanthropy save global health?

Anil Soni

Chief executive officer, WHO Foundation

Interviewer: Rumbi Chakamba

Senior Editor, Devex

3:10 p.m. CEST

The next era of global health

3:25 p.m. CEST

Final reflections

3:30-4:30 p.m CEST

Networking hour

Speakers

His Excellency Khaled Abdelghaffar

Deputy prime minister for human development and minister of health and population in Egypt

Dr. Guled Abdijalil Ali

Director general, Federal ministry of Health of Somalia

Dr. Philip Anderson

Strategy Director, Access to Healthcare, Amgen

Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr

Director, PAHO/WHO’s Regional Office for the Americas

Priya Basu

Executive head, Pandemic Fund

Jacquelyn Caglia

Head, MSD for Mothers; Director, Social Impact and Sustainability; MSD

Susan Camara

Head of EU programs, MSI Reproductive Choices

Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou

Director, WHO

Nan Chen

Co-executive director, Africa Frontline First

The Right Honourable Helen Clark

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, co-chair of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, member of The Elders

Elisha Dunn-Georgiou

President and CEO, Global Health Council

Jon Fairest

Head of global health unit, Sanofi

Ti Hwei How

Vice president of oncology and market access, Astrazeneca

Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu

Acting regional director for Africa and deputy executive director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization

Jayasree Iyer

Chief executive officer, Access to Medicine Foundation

Brian Kennedy

Executive director, Global Alliance for Patient Access

Nupur Lalvani

Founder director, Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation

Sean Lybrand

Executive director of access to health care, Amgen

Stephen Mason

Medical lead for oral health, Haleon

Manu Mathur

Professor and head of Dental Public Health and Primary Care at the Queen Mary University of London, and head of health policy at the Public Health Foundation of India